II.Read
Readthefollowingpassages.Underlinetheimportantviewpointswhilereading.
1.Childless-andHappyThatWay
InacountrywheremostpeoplebelievethatafamilyIsnotafamilywithoutchildren,someyoungcouple,especiallythosewithahighereducation,havechosentokeeptheirfamiliestotwomembers-husbandandwife.
Icantaffordtohaveachild,saidWang,apromisingresearchfellowwiththeChineseAcademyofSocialSciences.
WanghasbeenbusytravelingabroadandhasreceivedscholarshipoffersfromanumberofAmericanuniversitiesthatwouldenablehimtocompletehisPhD.
HeisafreebirdwhomayleavethenestanydayandIvenevercaredmuchaboutachild,saidXiaoWei,Wangswife,businessrepresentativeofaFrenchcompanyinBeijing.
UnliketheWangs,Zhangandhiswifehavearguedoverwhethertheyshouldhaveababy.
Whenweweremarriedsixyearsago,wedecidedtoadoptawait-and-seeattitudeontheissue.Andafteracoupleofyears,mywifesaidshewantedtohaveababywhileIinsistedwewerejustfinewithoutone.Wehavebeenarguingaboutthemattereversince,andnowthatweareover30,Ithinkwerelikelytoendupinaccordancewithmywishes,saidZhang.
Therearemanymarriagesthatshouldhavelongbeenbroken.Peoplejustholdonbecauseadivorcewouldhurtthechildrenmostandtheparentshatetofacethatprospect.Sothecouplestickstogetherandwindsuptorturingeachother.
Arealhappyfamilyisafamilythat,withoutchildren,isstillahappyfamily.SaidZhang.
MaJiang,whohasopenedatradingcompanyandwasinstantlynicknamedMoneyBagsbyhisfriends,saidhewouldhatetobebotheredwithachild.
Tome,beingwithoutachild,Iamlessboundbyhouseholdchoresandcanconcentrateonmybusiness.MylovelywifeisallIneed,nothirdperson,hesaid.
Maswife,XiaoLu,workingforagovernmentunit,couldhavequitherjobandbecomedependentontherichhusband.Butshedecidedagainstit.
IcantimaginewhatIwouldbelikeifIstayedathome,doinghouseholdchoresandbreast-feedingachild.Idratherkeepmyindependenceatallcosts,shesaid.
Whateverpeoplesay,Ibelievethattohaveachildmeansalotofsacrifice.Werejustnotreadyforthat,funormisery,Maswifesaid.
HouMingkunandhiswifeLuoQiansaidtheywerentagainsthavingachild,boyorgirl,ifonlythebabywasphysicallywelldeveloped.
Onetakesariskwhenhavingababy.Iveheardtoomanystoriesabutchildrenbornwithphysicaldefects.Sincetheresnoguaranteethatthesamewonthappentomybaby.IthinkIdbetternotgetmyselfinvolved.Peoplesaynopain,nogain,butformeitsnogain,nopain,Luosaid.
ThecouplewereclassmatesinhighschoolandwenttothesameuniversityinShanghai.Now,theyareworkingfroacomputercompanyinBeijing.
Thosewhochoosenottohavechildrenhavetoovercomesomeunexpecteddifficultiesindefendingtheirstance.
Influencedbythetraditionalviewthatonesworstsinishavingnodescendants,mostpeoplestillacceptthatawifeisnotagoodwifeifshedoesnthaveachild.
ThoughfewChinesebelieveinanafter-life,theydocarealotaboutgrowingold.Forcenturies,oneofthepurposesofhavingchildren,sonsespecially,wastohavesomeonetakecareoftheparentswhentheywereold.
Now,sincebothhusbandandwifeareworking,theywillhaveapensionwhentheyretire.Whathappensnowisthattheretiredparentsaresupportingtheiradultchildren,:Wangsaid.
Werenormalpeople,justlikeeveryoneelse,Wevejustchosentoliveourownwhichharmsnoone.Ihopepeopleunderstandus,Wangsaid.
2.ThreeBabiesAreBornEverySecond
Thereareover3,800millionpeopleintheworldtoday,andthetotalisincreasingattherateofmorethan76millionayear.UnitedNationsexpertshavecalculatedthatitcouldbemorethan7,000millionbytheendofthiscentury.
Thepopulationisgrowingmorequicklyinsomepartsofheworldthenothers.ThecontinentswiththefastestgrowthratesareLatinAmerica(2.9percent)andAfrica(2.6percent).Asiacomesthird(2.1percent)butbecauseitspresentpopulationissolargeitistherethatbyfarthegreatestnumberofpeoplewillbeaddedbeforetheendofthecentury.
3.PopulationIncreaseHasWipedouttheMaterialBenefitsPeopleHave
Achieved
Matthew:Sarah,isthereaneedtocontrolpopulationonlyincountrieslikeIndia,Africa,Brazil...thosecountriesthatwecalltheunderdevelopedcountries,oristhereacaseforlimitingpopulationinEurope,forinstance?
Sarah:Thereasononewouldhavetolimitpopulationisbecauseyourerunningoutoffoodandyourerunningoutofresources.ThepeopleinEuropeandAmericaconsumeafargreaterproportionoftheworldsresourcesandtheworldsfoodthantheydoinIndia.So...um...populationisdirectlyrelatedto...um...consumptionandyourgeneralimpactontheenvironment.Ifasanindividualyourimpactisfargreaterthenanybodyelses,um...thenthatisthefactorthatsimportant,raterthanhowmanypeoplethereare.,orhowmanypeoplecantheworldsupport.Nowits...obviouslyinthatsense,itspossibletoincreasepopulationifeverybodyswillingtoun...uselessmaterialoreatlessfood,butitisntifeverybodyscontinuallywantingmoreandmoreandmore,andthisis...seemstobethetrendatthemoment...higherandhigherconsumption..withatthesametimeagreatlyexpandingpopulation.Andtheproblemin...um...areaswhicharepoorandwhichhaveexpandingpopulationsisthattheytryanddevelopandtryand...er...get...er...morematerialbenefits,butassoonastheydothis,thepopulationincreasehaswipedoutanybenefitsthattheymayhaveum...achieved.
Matthew:Butdoyoufeelthatthisbattlewitha...arapidlyexpandingpopulationcanbewon?
Sarah:Themostsensiblethingistorealizethatyoucantgoonexpandinghumanpopulationsforeverandcountriesandindividualsmustdecidetohaveapolicywhichwouldlimitpopulation.
4.AnAfricanWomanSays:...theMenNeverTalkaboutIt.
Tous,childrenarethemostimportantthinginlife.Whenwemarry,itisnotabovealltogetahusbandorwife,buttohavechildren.Ihadmythirteenthbirthonlyafewmonthsago,andmostofmyadultlifeIhavehadtocareforababyaswellasdoallmyotherworkinthehouseandinthefields.ForalongtimeIhavewantednomorechildren,butIkeephavingthemaslongasIamwithmyhusband.Anursecomestovisitourvillageregularly.Sheholdsmeetingsforallthemenandwomentogether,toexplainabutfamilyplanning.Nowthesearewell.Knownfactstous,butstillnobodyinourvillagepracticesbirthcontrol.Whenwesittogetherwiththenurse,everybodyseemstoagreethatthisistherightthingtodowhenafamilyhadgrownbigenoughtogivetheparentssecurityintheiroldage,andthereareenoughhandstoattendtoallthedailywork.Butwhenwegohome,themennevertalkaboutit.myhusbandandIattendeverymeeting,butinourhomewehavenevertalkedaboutbirthcontrol.Idesperatelywanttostophavingmorechildren,butthiscanonlybedoneifmyhusbandsuggestsit.